You Don't Want To Miss This Tiny Tuscan Village

By Luisa Taliento, La Dolce Vita

01/15/2016 11:23am ET | Updated January 21, 2016

La Dolce Vita

Pienza is located in the heart of Val D’Orcia. It is famous for being the city of Pope Pio II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who was born there in 1405. Pio II wanted to create a unique place there, in contrast to Siena, the city which, along with his family, unjustly marginalized him. For this reason, he summoned the best architects and artists to create, in just three years, from 1459 to 1462, a perfect city - the ideal of the Renaissance.

La Dolce Vita

A perfection that you can still breathe in today, strolling in the central square overlooked by light honey coloured buildings all built in travertine stone. Then the Duomo parades before your eyes, housing work by the most renowned painters of the time, and the imposing Palazzo Piccolomini, which was chosen by the director Zeffirelli to shoot some scenes of the film “Romeo and Juliet”, with the lodge and the garden from which you can admire the entire valley (prolocopienza.it).

La Dolce Vita

Instead, by bicycle, just go about thirty kilometers into the countryside to reach Bagno Vignoni, where you find the “smoking square”, in the centre, a large tub filled with water from which hot vapors rise. The same one fills the pools of spa and thermal hotels, like the Adler Thermae (adler-thermae.com). Have a relaxing swim before getting on your bike and returning to Pienza.

La Dolce Vita

Instead, by bicycle, just go about thirty kilometers into the countryside to reach Bagno Vignoni, where you find the “smoking square”, in the centre, a large tub filled with water from which hot vapors rise. The same one fills the pools of spa and thermal hotels, like the Adler Thermae (adler-thermae.com). Have a relaxing swim before getting on your bike and returning to Pienza.